The only thing that stops the dust is the rain. It’s a sweet reprieve, but there is no middle ground. The land is either as dry as the Betty Ford clinic, or as wet as the ocean floor. Everything can be seen from the ridge overlooking Armadillo as John Marston gently bounces along atop...

The most recent installment of the Lego franchise has players swimming in deadly waters, dealing with swashbuckling pirates, and chasing monkeys up the crow’s nest. LEGO Pirates of the Caribbean follows all four films (yes, even the upcoming fourth film), each with five chapters to complete. It’s an adventure any lucky lad would want to embark on, but one that may be all too familiar for experienced seadogs.

If you are a fan of the Lego titles, you will be familiar with the amount of things they have to offer and this isn’t any different. It features the same content we all enjoy from previous titles; however, it’s also the same content that we all dislike.

Characters not only play their respective roles, but also display that quizzical and humorous Lego charm that brings a smile to anyone’s face. Jack Spa… oops, I mean Captain Jack Sparrow flails about as you move his character, Elizabeth Swann growls in disgust when things don’t work in her favor, and a coconut is just one option that can be used as a weapon. Every level is built with profound and vivid detail with plenty of objects to smash, build, and discover.

In between fighting off pirates, there are boss battles; Captain Barbossa sends several waves of cursed pirates who can only be fought in the moonlight, and on Isla Cruces, you put your sword fight skills to the test against the Flying Dutchman’s crew. You must defeat all of them in time before other pirates come to build them back together—oh, the joys of being made out of Lego blocks.

Controls are simple in terms of moving your character - jumping, performing an action, and attacking - but the camera view is incredibly hindering. Jumping from one ledge to another is challenging, since more often than not, you will either jump too far or too short of a platform and die. You respawn right where you left off, so there isn’t any penalty for misjudging jumps other than frustration, but you also experience the common mishaps in Lego games: characters become stuck in between objects, randomly run into walls, or they get in your way and force you off a cliff.

There are also numerous puzzles to solve in order to progress, using certain characters with distinct abilities. Elizabeth is able to jump higher to get to hard-to-reach places while Gibbs is able to build objects. The fact that each character is limited to performing specific actions tempts you to replay levels and access areas not available to you initially. Not to mention, there are also many hidden objects to collect, further enticing you to play the campaign multiple times.

Studs, red hats (also known as red bricks), and mini-kits are scattered throughout each level. In between chapters, you are given the option to go to Port Royal, which acts as a hub. Studs can be used to purchase characters and extras, and mini-kits unlock bonus levels. Extras are available by finding red hats and are used to alter gameplay, like turning on multipliers to double the amount of studs you earn.

Like previous Lego games, two player co-op is available in this version but splitscreen only. While the game maintains the easy drop-in, drop-out multiplayer the series is known for, the long-desired cooperative online multiplayer remains absent.

Despite the lack of improvements on the Lego franchise, LEGO POTC is very enjoyable in its own right and offers hours of lasting appeal. But if you’re expecting new additions or improvements on gameplay mechanics then perhaps, you should let this title sink into the black oblivion of Davy Jones’ Locker. Savvy?